A reader just explained a scene that has been occurring in her bathroom recently. She wrote that the water in her bidet and toilet bowl contain brownish-red worms. Some of these worms are thin and short, and others are quite long. She is curious about the cause of the appearance of these worms and wonders if the water could be contaminated. What could these be?

Unfortunately, our reader didn’t send us a photo to verify our ideas with. Since these worms are brownish-red and were discovered in bathroom water, we think these are one of two possible creatures. First, these might be midge fly larvae. These larvae are bright red, which is how they get their nickname “bloodworms”. They live and feed in the organic matter that lines a drain, which is why they are often found near sources of water. Getting rid of these creatures just requires cleaning the drains and pipes of the contaminated source. So in this case, our reader should use a cleaning gel that is aimed to kill organic material in her toilet bowl and bidet drain.

While she might have discovered midge fly larvae, we think it is more likely that our reader found earthworms. We say this because while bloodworms are bright red, earthworms are generally more brown. Since our reader has found plenty of these creatures, there might be a leak in her pipes that the earthworms are entering through from their home in the moist soil underground. She should compare the specimens to the earthworm in the photo featured on this post. If it is a match, she might want to consider contacting a professional to look at the plumbing system.

In conclusion, a reader wrote to us about worms that have invaded her toilet bowl and bidet water. Based on the description she provided, we think these are likely bloodworms or earthworms, but we cannot be certain without a photograph. If she doesn’t think either of these are a match to what she discovered in her bathroom, she should send us a photo that we can use to help us solve this mystery!